A Different Sort Of Love
by Magick Starr
Summary: Alternate ending to episode aired on 3rd May 07. What if Emma hadn't gone home alone after she was cleared? Pairing I haven't tried before so please tell me what you think!Oneshot.


A/N: Alternate ending to Thursday 3rd May 07. I woke up on the bank holiday and thought, maybe I should be good and do some of my long overdue coursework, and then I thought, nah, I'll write this instead! At first I thought there was a bit of Emma/Gina hidden in this episode, but when I re-watched it just before writing this to get the lines I wanted, I changed my mind and decided that there was a bit of Jo/Emma potential. So that's what I'm going to go with, I hope you enjoy! Hmm, Jo and Emma, Jo and Emma. Jemma. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?!

* * *

I was sat on a chair in the soft interview room. I'd brought Matt in not long ago and was now waiting for Gina to arrive with Emma. I couldn't look him in the eye, knowing what he'd done to her. I know I'm meant to remain impartial, but how can I when I've known Emma and seen her injuries with my own eyes. I mean, yes, Matt is injured too, and yes I've known him too, but there's something I just can't trust about him now. He's standing there, confident as anything, he's broken Emma down into a bag of nerves and he doesn't care. So much for his claims he loves her.

I see Emma brought in, she looks awful. She's wearing a pale blue top and a tatty pair of jeans with a dusty pink cardigan, maybe it's just the colours against her, but she looks so pale. She's shaking slightly, she looks nervous around him, there's no way I can believe him now, if he was telling the truth, why would she look so scared of him? I mean, yes, you can act, but no one is that good an actor, she's petrified.

'Emma.' Matt begins, I find myself looking up to him, I don't know how he can be so casual.

'Matt.'

'Well… here we are.'

'You wanted to talk to me.' she sounds pretty confident, I think he's taken all the fight out of her deep down, but by the looks of it she's not going to let him see that.

'I want us to talk to each other.'

'Look, I'm not interested in having any kind of reconciliation.' I swear she just glanced at me then, I can't figure out why, maybe she's just trying to reassure herself that she's not alone with him.

'No, neither am I, it's too late for that.'

'So…'

'I shouldn't have lied to you about Nina, it was a stupid thing to do. I might have known you'd have found out sooner or later.'

'Yeah. Well finding out was bad enough, but hearing what she had to say about you was much worse.' She seemed to be growing in confidence, maybe she was regaining a little of the strength she'd knocked out of her, she certainly seemed to be.

'Okay, I admit I am not the perfect man, but do you really think I'm as bad as the way she described me?'

I look up to Emma, she's becoming more nervous again, I can see it in her actions, she's wrapped her cardigan further around her and has folded her arms very self-consciously, she's in quite a defensive stance as well.

'Emma this woman had a nervous break down, she's emotionally disturbed.' He's trying to manipulate her again, form what Will told myself and Gina earlier that was down to him, I just hope Emma can see through him.

'And who drove her to that nervous break down?' I smile slightly as she fights back verbally, luckily she's too wise to his tricks now.

'You just want to see the worst in me.'

'No, I've experienced the worst of you, Matt.' She's pointed to her bruised neck, I have to look away slightly, I can't bear to see how he's hurt her, she didn't deserve anything like that. Even though I'm not looking at her I can still tell that she virtually spat out his name, a slight disdain in the way she speaks to him.

'So what are you saying, that I've never made you happy?'

'No.' she almost whispers it but she's very firm in her words, shaking her head slightly. 'I'm not saying that, but…'

'I'm beginning to seriously think that you've never loved me.'

'What?' she interrupts, shocked at what he's suggesting. I'm shocked too, Emma's showed him nothing but devotion, and he repays her like this, it's just not fair on her.

'I mean,' He continues, 'At least that would explain why you jumped into bed with Will Fletcher just weeks before we were married.'

Well, I certainly didn't see that one coming, I mean, it's obvious that Will cares for Emma, but I'd never have thought that Emma would have acted on it. Not that it justifies what Matt did and is still doing to her though. I look up to Gina, sensing she's looking to me. I'm right, as my eyes meet hers I see her roll her eyes slightly, I can't tell what she's thinking, but I wonder if it's the same as me. I feel out of place, I'm listening to a conversation between a married couple, and the things he's bringing up should stay between them, I feel like I shouldn't be hearing this, it's Emma's own private issues.

'Can we please leave Will Fletcher out of this?' Emma asks, it's obvious she's feeling the same way, I shouldn't be hearing this, and neither should Gina, it's her business, no one else's.

'Maybe I should have called the wedding off there and then' Matt continues as if oblivious to Emma's previous plea. 'But instead I let you convince me it was just a moment of madness; a mistake.'

'This has nothing to do with what happened last night.' Emma's voice was raising, I saw her step forward towards myself and Matt, Gina did the same, placing one hand on her waist and the other on her upper arm, holding her back gently, not that Emma was fighting her though. I stood up as I saw this, ready to restrain Matt if needs be, there was no way I was going to let him hurt Emma again.

'Hasn't it?' he provoked.

'You know damn well it hasn't.' Emma shouted, 'I told you I was leaving you and then when I made for the door you attacked me.' She was becoming more confident in herself, her words more forceful than they had been before.

'You were drunk, Emma, you were out of control.'

'I only had one or two drinks, that's all.' She sounded like she was beginning to doubt herself again, this isn't fair, what he's doing to her, he's playing mind games with her and there's nothing we can do to stop him.

'So you knew what you were doing?'

'Yes, of course I did.'

'Yet you still picked up that bottle and smashed it over my head?' All the time he was spitting that question out my heartbeat was quickening, my breath hitching as I knew what was coming next, he was provoking her into saying something she didn't mean, and he was succeeding.

'Yes.'

Matt looked over to me, I could have punched him if only we weren't in the station and in the company of my inspector, what he just did was absolutely heartless.

'No.' Emma called as I took a step towards her. 'No I didn't mean that.' Her voice was becoming panicked.

'Okay Emma.' I coaxed, trying to stop her from saying much more to Matt that he could twist to his advantage.

'I didn't mean to say that.'

'Okay, okay.' I whispered to her, placing one arm on her shoulder.

'He was just twisting my words, that's all.'

'Okay.' I whispered, I didn't know what else I could do, there wasn't anything else. She was completely distraught and I couldn't change that.

Emma paused for a second before pulling all her energy into what she was about to say to him, obviously determined to have her last say. 'People kept warning me about you and I should have believed them, because it was all true.' She yelled before turning to me in flood of tears. I stretched my arms out to her and she gratefully reached out to hug me, burying her head in my shoulder. I looked down to her, she was so beautiful, yet so vulnerable right now that I knew if anything happened I would be taking advantage of her, and besides, Matt and Gina were in the room with us and all Emma wanted and needed right now was comforting.

'I think I better sign my statement after all.' Matt looked to Gina as he spoke, the inspector looking to me as I held Emma. I could do nothing but glare at him; he was tearing Emma in two and enjoying it as he did.

Gina escorted Matt back to an interview room in order for him to do as he wished and sign his statement while I was left with Emma to pick up the pieces.

After he left the room and the two of us were left alone together, Emma pulled her head back slightly; her arms still wrapped around me and mine around her. As I looked into her teary eyes I could feel I couple trickling down my face. I may not know Emma very well, but I hope she considers me as a friend, because I certainly consider her as one. She holds my gaze for a while, her face quizzical as she notices the tears in my own eyes.

After a bit she looks down, I release one of my hands from our embrace to lift her chin up with two fingers, lightly brushing the tears from her eyes when she's looking at me again. I wonder if she's feeling the same connection I am, I know she's married, but I feel like there's something between us, maybe she's not as straight as I've previously thought.

Too caught up in my thoughts about her, I've failed to realise that all the tears are long gone, and I'm now just stroking her cheek. As soon as I realise I stop, embarrassed, I move my hand away, looking down to our conjoined bodies. This time it's her that tilts my head up, I look into her eyes again, watching as she slowly moves her head further towards me, her lips ever so gently connecting with mine for a split second before she pulls them back again, stepping out of our hug.

I look away, only looking back when I hear her meek whisper. 'Sorry.'

My head snaps back around, locking eyes with the young PC. 'Don't be.' We stayed sealed in our moment for a while, neither of us breaking the silence for about a minute before I finally look down, feeling guilty. Hesitantly, I continue my sentence I began before we froze. 'It was my fault.'

'No, it was no one's fault, it was just…' Emma was cut off as we heard the door open, both running our hands through our hair quickly to straighten ourselves out from our flustered appearance.

I looked to the door to see Gina walk in. 'You two still in here?' she asked rhetorically, a stupid question really, but one that's asked so frequently. 'Sorry Emma, I better take you back to the cell.' Gina continues, oblivious to the atmosphere Emma and myself have created in the small room.

I noticed a tear fall from Emma's eye; I hated to think of her locked up, I couldn't even begin to imagine how she felt about it.

* * *

I let Gina take her back into a cell while I went to the ladies and splashed some cold water on my face, trying to snap myself out of the trance I'd been in ever since I was left alone in the interview room with Emma. I waited a couple of minutes before heading back to the custody desk, arriving just as Gina was coming out. 'How's she doing Ma'am?' I asked, my gaze involuntarily resting on the cell I knew she was occupying. My vision lingered there for a second before I looked back to Gina.

'Been better, a lot better.' She answered while looking at me, beginning to walk, as she continued I walked along side her, listening to what she had to say, but my mind still with Emma. 'Y'know I always thought my instinct was spot on about people but I couldn't have been more wrong about Matt Hinckley.'

'You're not the only one.' I commented. I'd always had a certain dislike for Matt, but I'd put that down to the fact that I had feelings for Emma, and obviously saw her husband as a slight rival. But there had never been anything to lead me to believe he was violent or such the manipulative bully that it now emerged he was.

Gina stopped again in the corridor, turning to face me. 'Uh, small positive though, the mark on the door, she says Matt kicked it closed to stop her getting out. I'm gonna get the lab on it.'

As much as my brain was telling me that at least it was something, I knew that it really wasn't what we needed, we needed something concrete. 'But it's still not enough though, is it? Because if he argues that the mark was there last night then it's still his word against hers.' I could tell my voice was getting louder, I just couldn't control it, I couldn't bear what he was putting Emma through and the thought that all we had wasn't going to be enough was doing nothing to calm me down.

'Better than nothing though, isn't it?' Gina commented, trying to get me to see a slightly positive.

* * *

We were seated in a car across the road from Matt and Nina. She was being taped and I had the video recorder in my hand, filming their conversation we were hearing through the microphones. For how unstable she was down to Matt, she was doing a good job; trouble was that she wasn't quite getting what we needed. She was doing well at standing up to him, but he wasn't saying what we needed to hear.

'You deserved it, and you know what?' I looked to Gina, maybe this was what we needed, just one more sentence out of him and we could have the confession we need. 'So did she.' We both raised our eyebrows simultaneously, I tried to fight back the grin I was suppressing, hoping to not give away just how much this case was affecting me.

* * *

I stood around a corner, listening to Emma thanking Gina as she was released. As they wrapped up their conversation, I saw Gina head away as Emma came towards me, obviously having spotted me. 'Can we go into an interview room?' she asked nervously. I instantly nodded, a small smile on my face, attempting to reassure her. I lead her into one, ensuring that I didn't take her to the one we'd been in earlier with Matt.

I signalled for her to take a seat, but she just shook her head softly, shutting the blinds quickly before closing the gap between us slightly. 'Thanks for everything you did today.' She began, obviously not quite sure what to say.

'I was just doing my job.' I brushed off the compliment, resulting in me receiving a look from Emma, her eyebrows raised.

'No, you did more than you had to. Thank you.'

'Anytime.' I said quietly, as nervous as she was.

'I hope I'm not going to need that kind of help again,' Emma joked, 'But thanks anyway.'

I simply smiled, not quite sure how she wanted me to react.

'Jo…'

I looked up to her, our vision meeting once again.

'About earlier…'

'You don't have to.' I cut in, trying to relax her as much as possible.

'No, hear me out, please.' She said more confidently, taking another step towards me. 'I… I…' she blinked a tear from her eye.

'You don't have to, I know what you're trying to say.' I added, knowing that she didn't feel the same way about me as I did her and trying to make it as easy as possible for her.

'You do?' she questioned uncertainly.

'Yes.' I nodded.

'Oh. Well, in that case…' she took the last step towards me before our bodies collided. I went to step back but an arm snaked around my waist, preventing me from moving. Smiling slightly at me, she moved her lips closer to mine, running her hand around the back of my head and slipping my hair out of the clip holding it up, allowing it to fall down around my face, before shutting her eyes, pressing her lips against mine. I shut my eyes at the same time, wrapping one arm around her waist, circling patterns on her back, the other I moved up towards her head, entwining my fingers loosely in her hair.

When we parted, I left my arm around her, as she did with hers, keeping the closeness between us with out bodies. She looked up to my eyes again after a few seconds, smiling as if she'd just seen me for the first time. 'That was…' she paused, at a loss for words.

I wrapped my other arm around her and pulled even closer to me, bringing her ear to my lips as I whispered, 'I know.' I saw the sides of her mouth curl up into a smile again before she turned around slightly in our embrace to look straight at me.

'I don't think I can go back to my house tonight.' She whispered nervously, shaking slightly as she thought back to what had happened there.

'No, no of course not.' I cut in quickly, not really sure what to expect.

'I was wondering…' she continued as if I hadn't just spoken, a trait I noticed in Matt earlier when he was speaking with Emma, the only difference that with Emma it was a good thing. 'If it's not too much trouble, if I could maybe come around to yours.' She left it hanging it the air, looking hesitantly at me.

'Course you can.' I grinned, my arms working their way up her back to hug her tighter, attempting to comfort and relax her.

'And it wouldn't be putting you out or anything?' She asked dubiously.

'Emma, I'd love for you to come around.' I reassured her, placing a kiss on her cheek.

'Thanks.' She lingered in my grip slightly before pulling away. 'I better go and pick up a few bits.'

'Do you want me to come with you?' I offered.

'No.' she replied firmly, 'Thanks, but this is something I should probably do on my own.'

'You sure?' I checked, sensing she was.

'Yes. Thanks. Pick me up?' she asked with a slightly smile.

'Of Course. How long do you want?'

'Can you give me fifteen minutes?'

'Sure, I'll go and finish of the paperwork from today.'

'Walk me to the taxi?'

'I think you've got some people waiting for you that want to say goodbye.' I answered diplomatically, not wanting to leave her for too long, but knowing that everyone seeing the two of us together would be more than Emma could handle today, even if the young PC didn't think so herself. I tilted my head in the direction of Will and Nina, stood outside the station together.

'Oh. I better…'

'Yeah. Fifteen minutes.' I said with a smile, assuring her that I would still be there for her, sensing that she could do with the encouragement.

'Yeah.' she smiled once again before heading out of the interview room, making her way out of the station and towards Will.

I watched as she hugged him, I felt a pang of jealousy, knowing that they'd slept together, I knew it was ridiculous seeing as it was me she was going home with, but it was there all the same. I watched as they had a short conversation, becoming less and less protective of her as they continued, seeing that although there once was something between them, it had gone now by the looks of it, now they were just friends.

I saw her chase after Nina who was retreating as she saw the two of them together. They had a short conversation together before Lewis joined them and Nina headed off. I slipped outside in an attempt to hear what they were saying, hiding in the shadows the building produced.

'I think I'm just gonna grab some things, check into a hotel, somewhere remote for a couple of days.' Emma said, glancing back towards the station, spotting me watching and giving me the briefest of smiles before turning back to Will and Lewis, luckily she hadn't looked at me for long enough for the other's attention to drift to me aswell. Lewis opened the door of the taxi for her; she climbed in and waved back to them. By now I'd come further out of the station's cover and was standing a little way behind them, but just close enough to see her flash me a smile as the taxi disappeared off.

I looked down to my watch, fifteen minutes and counting.


End file.
